1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golf balls. More particularly it relates to water-soluble golf balls.
2. Prior Art
In the United States and throughout the industrialized world golf is one of the most popular leisure sports enjoyed by a wide range of citizens. A large portion of this golfing population practices their golfing ability by the hitting dozens of golf balls at public and private driving ranges. A familiar site to many a golfer is the thousands of golf balls which cover the driving range area prior to their retrieval.
Another popular pastime for citizens on vacation is taking of sea cruises aboard the many ships and cruise lines who cater to seagoing vacationers. In the not too distant past many a seagoing golfer was able to practice his golf ball driving skills aboard ship by driving golf balls off of the ship into the sea.
Because of the ill effects the thousands of golf balls ejected from the cruise ships were having on the ocean environment and the sea life therein, and because of a statute enacted by the International Maritime Organization banning the dumping of refuse containing plastic into the world's oceans, the practice of driving golf balls has been banned by most cruise ship lines. Since golf balls are made of rubber and other waterproof materials, the balls driven from cruise ships into the sea, or from land based driving ranges into a water hazard continue to exist in that environment for years. These golf balls, when ingested by sea life and fresh water dwelling creatures, may cause death or illness due to choking or bowel obstruction.
Since current golf balls in use and disclosed by prior art noted below are essentially made to endure in the golf club environment for years, driving ranges used by the thousands of people practicing swing and distance driving have been limited to spaces of land which allow for the easy retrieval of the golf balls used thereon. However, if golf balls were to dissolve into the environment into which they were driven, not only would golf practice at sea be safe for sea animals and the ocean environment, but additional areas of land would become available along lakes, sea shores, swamps, and other areas for since the balls would no longer need to be retrieved. The introduction of such a water soluble golf ball would thus open up such land for additional driving ranges. It is therefor desirable to provide a water soluble golf ball which will allow the driving of golf balls from cruise ships and in other areas currently precluded from such play with permanent style golf balls.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,541 (Desmarias) teaches a golf tee composed of water thermoplastic material which is water soluble. While addressing the need for water soluble products in the golfing environment this patent does not instruct as to the manufacture of a golf ball which is soluble.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,374,692 (Miller) teaches an oxidized soy bean oil mixed with rubber materials to produce a material of uniform composition for the covering of golf balls. The intent of Miller, however, is to use the soy bean oil to produce a long lasting golf ball cover which is extremely tough and resilient and similar in performance to vulcanized rubber covers. Thus, the Miller patent does not instruct on the use of natural and water soluble substances for the production of water soluble golf balls.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,363,059 (C. W. Green), 2,122,279 (Crane), 2,229,170 (C.W. Green), 2,074,808 (Rickey), 1,202,490 (Davis), 785,184 (Saunders), 699,813 (Richards) and 710,750 (Cavanagh) all deal with a method of making a golf balls. However all the golf balls disclosed in the aforementioned patents deal with the method of manufacturing a long lasting golf ball from various natural and synthetic components and thus teach away from a method for the manufacture of a water soluble or disposable golf ball.